Twist of Fate
by Kitten
Summary: In a raid on a Night World run establishment, Daybreaker Adren Foster finds his worst nightmare. As the door is slowly opened, so is the secrets of Adren's strange past.
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Night World or any characters contained in the series. They are LJ Smith's. I own Adren (pronounced A- dr- n) and his soulmate.

The scents of blood, fear, and pack filled his nostril as he ripped into the throat of a faceless vampire, who thought it was safe to attack the black wolf with the vivid green eyes. He discovered too late that the wolf wasn't any ordinary werewolf.

Adren Foster lapped in the excitement and fears him and his fellow Circle Daybreak members created inside the Night World stronghold. He released the mauled vampire and lunged at another foe releasing every feral urge he had inside him.

The fighting was over too soon for Adren and he was forced to change back into a human form he longed to remain out of.

_Guess I haven't gotten over 1891_, He thought to himself removing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt from a dead shapeshifter and put them on.

Adren was well muscled, his tan skin rippling over his abdomen and strong arms. His sable black hair hung just above his collar fell in silky waves. His emerald green eyes watched his commando team round up the survivors and tie them up before taking a look around the place.

"Hey Adren." His second in command, Ash Redfern, said coming up behind him.

To his dismay, Adren jumped and crouched down low with a growl before he knew it.

Ash held out his hand to show he was unarmed, which didn't mean a thing since Ash was a vampire. A lamia vampire directly descended from the legendary Maya, to be exact.

"Didn't mean to _scare_ you, fur ball, but we found something downstairs you might like to see." He told Adren with a smirk, his eyes the color of wine.

"Show me." He told the vampire.

Ash snickered and led Adren up the hallway, down two flights of stairs, past Daybreakers hauling prisoners upstairs and up to a large thick safe like door in the basement.

A chill went up Adren's spine and he froze as a group of vampires, human, shapeshifters and witches tested the locked door for ways to open it.

_No, it can't be. _Adren thought his blood running cold, his heartbeat accelerating and breath coming faster. _Not him. Please Goddess, let it not be him!!_

Ash, ever watching for weaknesses, spotted Adren's fear.

"Something the matter?"

"No." Adren replied a little too quickly. Ash just smirked and nodded.

As the vampire walked away to call for a blowtorch, Adren silent fell deep into the recesses of his mind. Back into the deepest parts of his memory, unlocking the past.

***********

Danger always excited her. She loved the thrill and adventure it gave her. She would sneak across forbidden Dragon lands when she was supposed to be gathering roots and berries for the clan's winter stocks. Just one moment of excitement would get her through all the tongue-lashing Elder gave her for her foolishness. 

Her long black hair was the color of the space between the stars and her eyes were the color of emerald rock that flashed with a wild nature. Thus Adren Far Star was aptly named. 

When everything began, she was out with the hunting party tracking a herd of caribou. Like her peers, she wore an animal skin shirt and pants and carried a deadly looking spear for the kill and protection.

To her right was the leader, Kel, a burly man of twenty. He held up his hand signaling the party to wait while he picked which of the herd looked the weakest and easiest to take down. A minute later Adren saw Kel signal and point to a fat buck that moved with a limp. Without another word, party split up taking up positions to surround the beast.

All was quite. The caribou peacefully grazed. Suddenly a piercing yell broke the silence, sending the herd running. Seconds later, ten hunters sprang up and ran after their prey, sending their spears flying. A moment later, peace returned with the smell of fresh blood and the thud of a dead beast.

"That was a short hunt." Kel said to Adren as her and the rest tied the beast up and prepared it for the journey back to their caves. "Maybe we need better prey. I can make a pretty necklace for you with wolf teeth."

Adren didn't spare the man a glance, "If you desire to yank teeth from a wolf, do so. But don't go crying to Elder when you lose your hand."

One of the hunters chuckled as Kel scowled and stormed off.

The clan warmly greeted the hunters when they returned from their hunt. Children danced around and patted the fat buck while thoughts of juicy warm meat filled their heads. Young women gazed coyly at the young men fluttering their eyelashes at them and sending Adren looks of contempt and disgust.

"I see the hunt went well." Elder said as she hobbled out of the caves with the help of two stout boys. "Tonight we feast on choice meat!"

Adren cheered with the rest of the clan as they all went back inside the safety of their home.

That night cerebration was in the air. Dances honoring the Goddess and the gift of caribou carried on. Pretty faces fawned over the hunters while the children listened to their tales of the hunt. 

Elder came up to Adren just outside the cave as she sat gazing at the horizon and at the vast night skies. 

"What are you thinking upon?" The white hair woman asked the younger girl.

Adren looked up into olive colored eyes that were once like her own, "The hunt no longer excites me. Nothing does."

Elder chuckled and patted the girl's shoulder, "Perhaps it is time for you to settle down and take a mate. Kel seems interested in you."

Adren scowled and looked back at the sky, "Kel's only interest is killing what the Goddess has given us. He doesn't see the beauty and magic that is all around us."

Her expression turned dreamy, "The colors of the sky. The scents of the air."

"You see things as a shaman would." Elder told her, "Maybe the Goddess's will is for you to take my place."

Adren sighed, "I feel so confused, Elder." She looked up at the woman, "What do you think I should do?"

Elder helped Adren to her feet and smiled, "I think tomorrow you should go and see what the Goddess brings you."

Adren looked at her and smiled.

At dawn, Adren packed her sleeping furs, a spare shirt and pants, a flint and her spear then left her clan. She first walked with the sun and then along a river eating berries she found along the way. At nightfall, she stopped and made shelter in a hollow oak tree near the river.

The next day Adren awoke at dawn to the sound of thunder. When she stuck her head out she glimpsed the most threatening sight she had ever seen in her life.

It's gray wings spanned more than fifty feet. Its black scaly body was twenty feet long. When it opened its mouth to release bursts of black energy, Adren saw long sharp teeth that were as tall as she was. This creature was a nightmare come to life. The most horrible thing in the world. 

It was a dragon.

Adren quickly darted back inside the tree.

"Please don't let him have seen me!" Adren whispered as the creature roared. "Please Goddess, let it not have seen me."

_Come out, come out_, Adren heard the dragon say in her mind. _I know you're here_


	2. Death

**Erikthya is pronounced (Erik-Thigh-Uh)**

__

Come out, come out, _I know you're here._

Adren's heart seemed to stop. Overwhelming fear filled her body and prepared it for flight or fight. Her mind began screaming to run, to go as far away as she could. To go back to her clan and remain to be hidden from the dragons who rule the world.

But Adren heart cried for something else. It cried for her to show herself and tell this beast just whom it was trifling with. She was Adren Far Star, the greatest and first female hunter in her clan. Adren Far Star, the daughter of Bano, brother of Hecate the Witch-Queen. Blood of power flowed through her veins. A power Adren tapped into every time she hunted and sought to let out now.

_Human, if you come out now I'll let you have a merciful death._ The dragon said to her.

Adren stepped out of the tree as she hurled a large fireball at the monster in response.

It ball struck the beast right in the snout. When it drew back in shock, Adren took the opportunity to run. 

She ran away from the river and deeper into the thin woodlands. Branches and leaves clawed at her face and hair but Adren paid them no heed, only to the sound of dragon wings above her.

She blindly ran into a clearing not a minute later and before she could run back into the woods, the dragon snatched her up with one of its fierce claws then flew away.

The first thing Adren realized about the dragon was it emitted an odor of old leather and blood, a rather interesting scent. The other, despite one claw was sliced her arm, the beast was carrying her to their unknown destination with obvious care.

For what seemed like minutes, Adren noticed the scenery changed from caves and woodlands to a large village and farmland. Below, humans toiled over crops of carrots, lettuce, wheat, cotton and such. 

An abundance of animals walked the streets. As the dragon drifted down to land Adren spotted a wolf carry off a child while the mother watched and did nothing. She spotted a group of panther cubs playing with a ball made of a pig's bladder. 

Something drew her attention away from the animals and to a group of men the dragon seem to be headed toward. Maybe it was their dress: buckskin breeches with leather boots. Or the strange obsidian-like eyes they all shared. Almost like the eyes of…

_Those four are dragons, _Adren realized before the dragon landed and tossed her roughly to the men. A tall one with coppery hair caught her.

Suddenly everything got all pink and fuzzy. A jolt went through them both and Adren gasped while the only sign from the dragon was slightly widened eyes.

A feeling of unity enveloped Adren. She knew, all of a sudden, this man-creature was the other half of her, the one the Goddess placed and led to her. She knew his name: Erikthya. He was a dragon that couldn't change but developed strong magical abilities to make up for it. And right now he hated her.

Erikthya suddenly thrust her away from him, sending her to the ground, and turned to address the dragon as he changed into human form.

Scales fell off, wings and skin wavered and shriveled up and soon in the place of a dragon stood a dark hair man with dragon eyes who wore pants the color and texture of dragon hide. He also was sporting a burn cheekbone to cheekbone.

"She stinks." Adren's soulmate spat at the man and then noticed the burns. "What happened to _you_?"

"Witch burnt me." the man snapped as Adren was drug to her feet.

Erikthya laughed. "The _mighty_ prince burnt by a little girl. How amusing."

The prince stormed away and Erikthya laughed again then turned towards Adren again. His expression turned dark.

"Now what to do with you. Hmm?" he said and the trio who held her began offering suggestions.

"Boil 'er alive then eat her eyes and liver and heart!"

"No, slowly break all of her. First her spirit then her bones."

"I always liked a good lashing." The third said, striping her with his eyes.

Adren sent the back of her head brutally into his face, spun quickly out of everyone's grasp as she heard a satisfying crunch of bone. Next she kicked the second dragon in the groin as the third dragon grasped his bloodied nose. Then Adren punched the first dragon as the second collapsed and began writhing in pain.

Before she could flee, Erikthya savagely struck Adren across the face, sending the girl to her knees before him. Blood leaked from the corner of her mouth as the first dragon kicked her in the stomach knocking her to her back. The second dragon limped up to his feet as the third creature booted Adren in the side, knocking the breath out of her.

"I say we do all three to the witch." Erikthya told his friends cheerfully as the second creature jerked Adren to her feet. "First take her then lash her then crush her bones and then burn her alive."

Erikthya griped her chin and jerked her head up to face him, ignoring the fire between them. "Won't you like that, witch?"

Beneath the curtain of black tangles, blood and dirt streaked face, emerald fire spat from Adren's eyes. She growled menacingly at her soulmate and snapped at his fingers.

He jerked his hand away quickly and laughed at her, motioning for her to be taken away. _She will learn to fear me_, Erikthya thought watching the four leave with a sinister smile. _She will know pain for bewitching me._

Her every scream felt like knives being thrust into his heart. She begged aloud and telepathically for him to save her. And it only made Erikthya hate the woman-child more.

Her four torturers showed no mercy. Spared her nothing and gave only pain. Throughout it all, one thought saved her from falling into the abyss of madness: _He is hurting too._

So it came to be that Adren endured six nights and five days of pain, passion, and hate in the arms of Erikthya.

The sixth day began as the five before, Erikthya pouring boiling hot water on her bruised and battered body to wake her. 

She bit down on her tongue to keep from screaming, a sound Erikthya loved to hear. Adren glared up at him from the floor where she was tied to a stake, her green eyes fiery like never before. 

Erikthya circled her nude form, taking in every scar, every burn and bruise. He knelt down and gently caressed her cheek, then ran his thumb over her lips. With infinite care, he traced their shape as Adren's eyes drifted shut. His fingers tangled into her sable locks as his head drifted close to her own and their lips touched in a bittersweet kiss.

_How can I love you,_ Erikthya asked Adren inside their joined mind. _You're human._

At the same time, Adren asked him, _How could I love a dragon? A creature who caused so much pain? So much pain…_

They slowly drifted apart and opened their eyes at the same moment as the other. So many words could have been said in the silence between them. So many words _should_ have been said. 

But none were said.

Erikthya stood, his expression hardening and his shields erected. He jerked Adren free of the stake, almost dislocating her shoulder and drug her to the square.

A great pyre was planned that day. Kindling surrounded one large pole where Adren was tied. Humans were herded around it while shapeshifters gathered around eagerly awaiting the blaze. 

Hours later, a torch was lit. Adren watched in slow motion as her soulmate walked up to her and tossed the torch at her with an evil smile. Then there was only pain, flames, glowing eyes and her screams. 

At one moment the flames seemed to go down and almost die. In that moment Adren's gaze locked with Erikthya's and she could see a demonic joy in them. It was then a lone tear fell from her eyes and Adren turned her power within.

__

"Great Goddess, hear my plea.

Let no man or beast lay

Their hands upon me!

By your word and deed

Let my soul ever

BE FREE!"

The flames rose up and Adren Far Star was gone.


	3. Back to the future

Back to the future

"Hey fur ball!" Ash shouted stirring Adren from his reverie. 

Adren shook himself and snapped, "What"

The vampire snorted, "In case you didn't know, the crew called for a blow torch while you were lost in La-La land."

Adren didn't bother to turn away from the door and the empty room he found himself in.

"Fine. What do you want?" he asked Ash.

The lamia flashed him a cocky grin, "Unless you want to be scared outta yer wits by the _itty bitty fire_, you might want to come upstairs with the rest of us."

"I'll stay here, thank you." Adren told him gruffly.

Ash shrugged, "Suit yourself but don't go whimpering to me when the _mean ol' fire _scares you."

Adren turned his head slightly as Ash turned to leave, "Bite me."

Ash froze on the basement steps. "Is that an insult or an invitation?" he asked in a low menacing voice. Adren had his face and back towards Ash when he replied.

"If you don't have a fireball shoved up your _butt,_ then you'll know it was an invitation."

Ash snickered and went upstairs as the welders made their way down to the mysterious door and Adren.

Once the torch was lit and the flame was adjusted, the welders began burning through the lock.

Adren sat on the basement steps out of the way watching the flickering light of the torch. In his eyes was the reflection of a young girl's pain and torment. If one looked closer, they could see the young girl screaming on a burning stake in the green flames of Adren's eyes.

_"Great Goddess, hear my plea let no man or beast lay their hands upon me"_ Adren remembered with a grim sigh. He snorted and shook his head in disgust.

"_By your word and deed, let my soul ever be free._" 

"What a fool I was." Adren murmured. "What a fool."

His mind began drifting back in time…


	4. Death

Death

"What is your name slave?"

"Adrena, master Erikthya."

"How long have you been my slave, Adrena?"

"Two years of my sixteen, master?"

"Would you say we are close?"

"Yes, master. It is I you chosen to shared your bed in the stead of concubines and I come willingly."

"Do you have dreams Adrena? Of dragons and a girl who looks just like you?"

"Y-yes master. How..."

"Do you have dreams of a man, who looks just like me" he whispers in the darkness.

"Yes master." The young girl replies unaware of death approaching in the form of a scythe. "I have dreams of a girl like me and a man-dragon like you."

Suddenly the blade is rammed into her gut and she sees the horrible grin on her master's face.

"W-why master?" she gasps. "I have served you loyally."

Erikthya wrenches the blade further up into her body and laughs. "Because your enchantment is still with me, witch."

Death descends on the Egyptian slave.

****

:::::::::::::::::::::

"May I introduce Lady Adrene Farst. My lady, Lord Erik the Drake."

A demure childlike woman stepped up to the medieval lord with the strange eyes. Her green eyes met his and strange visions of herself and the lord flickered behind her eyelids. With a shake of her head, the lady dismissed the visions and lustful thoughts from her mind.

"'Tis a pleasure to meet you, my lord." Adrene said with a bow.

Lord Erik took her hand and through a pink haze, he kissed the woman's hand. "I-it 'tis a pleasure to finally meet you again."

Suddenly the lord drew his sword and ran it through the noblewoman. He laughed at her and his steward's shocked expression.

"Don't be too surprised, witch." Erik the Drake told her. "For every life you have lived, I have been there to end it. For every time I feel your feminine enchantment begin to stir inside me, I will hunt down and kill you."

Death descends on the medieval lady.

****

:::::::::::::::::::::

Adenanstar prepared herself for the next day's sacrifice to the gods. She cleansed herself, sharpened her obsidian knife and awaited the dragon-man from her visions.

He came at the appointed hour.

"Your heart and blood will make a mighty sacrifice." She greeted him. "The gods honor this priestess with such a gift."

"I'll make sure I leave your heart for your gods, witch." Erikthya replied.

Adenanstar drew her blade and attacked. Erikthya shook his head and struck her with a dark energy bolt from his fingers that sent the priestess flying. He snatched up the obsidian blade where it fell and easily cut Adenanstar's throat and cut out her heart.

Death descends on the Aztec priestess.


	5. Adrien Foster

Adrien Foster

Adrien Foster was a lively young man that stood around five foot three. Despite the fact all the ladies towered inches above him, many were seen swooning over his lithe body, striking emerald green eyes and wavy black hair.

He lived with his Uncle Edwin Foster at the man's farm just outside of town. The heavy set Edwin took the boy in when his father and mother died of small pox in Nebraska. Rumor was Adrien's parents were still alive and Edwin only had the teen around to do the chores.

None the less, Adrien came into town every Monday to carry out his uncle's business in Edwin's old springboard wagon.

"Morning Mister Kemp!" Adrien greeted warmly as he stepped inside the general store. "Has my uncle's flour come in yet? He's hankerin' for something other than mutton and weak stew."

The elderly storekeeper chuckled and handed the teen the bag of flour. "Here's yer uncle's flour boy. Anything else I can be getting' for ya?" he asked as Adrien stared out the window.

Adrien spotted two men outside dragging a mass of struggling fur between them. "No we're fine," he said faintly as he began walking out of the store.

Outside Adrien got a better look at the men and creature they were yanking into the saloon. 

Adrien knew the two identical overweight men immediately. The Booth twins were oily hair, pimply mirrors with slime colored eyes and a taste for all things illegal. They loved cheating, dog fights that were secretly held in their saloon and stealing.

Adrien had a feeling the creature they had was going to be involved in all three activities.

The creature look like a dog but was definitely a wolf. It was too strong, apparent from the struggle the twins were having getting the animal inside. The second thing was the eyes, they held in them the wilderness and freedom that reached for Adrien.

"Kelly, Ashley, what in the blue blazes are you doin' with a wolf?!" Adrien demanded as he stomped over to them.

"You keep your mouth shut, Foster." One twin snapped.

"Or well beat you within an inch of yer life." The other threatened.

Adrien followed the twins as they went inside the saloon.

"Gimme that wolf, yer gonna get yerselves bit" he said reaching for the leash.

Just then the wolf lunged forward, knocking the twins off balanced, and grabbed a hold of Adrien's arm with his teeth. 

Fire leapt up Adrien's arm from where the wolf tore into his skin. The weight of the wolf sent him back into some chairs before he slammed into the floor. His head bounced once and all was black.

The wolf growled at its fallen foe and growled once in warning at the twins before darting out the door. Outside shrieks of shock and some of fear could be heard as the wolf ran through town and back into the wilderness from where it came.

The twins looked at Adrien, then looked at each other.

"I think we better get outta here." They said together before running out the door.

Adrien was floating in a warm blanket of darkness. The pain in his head and the wolf bite seemed like it happened in another life. Suddenly he found himself sitting in front of a fire in a cave.

On the other side of the fire Adrien saw a girl who looked like a feminine version like him! They shared the same stunning emerald green eyes, the same wavy black hair. The only thing different about them was them was their gender.

Strangely Adrien knew this girl. Knew her name, her past, her likes and dislikes. He even knew what she was thinking.

"It's strange, is it not?" she asked with a sad smile. "That a simple twist of fate would bring us to where we are now."

Adrien nodded, too stunned to speak to the girl who even sounded a little like him.

"He loves us, Adren." She told him using their true name "and he sees it as a weakness. That's why he kills us."

He was puzzled, "Who kills us?"

She smiled faintly, her face full of warmth, amusement… and love, "You'll know. We always know."

Her eyes fell and tears filled them, "And when we see him, we must run and hide."

"Or else we die." He finished flooded by memories of his past. "Does he know what the powers have done to stop him?"

She shook her head, "No."

He nodded rising to his feet and almost fell back on his backside, "What is happening to us?"

She sighed forlornly, "We are changing. We are becoming wolf and wolf is becoming us." She smiled, "Another form is being made. First you were human, then we were witch, now we are wolf."

Strangely it made sense.

_This morning I had no memory of my past life and couldn't unlock my powers,_ he thought. _Now I know and have become a witch- I mean warlock._

That wolf was a werewolf, he realized. _I have to find him!_

"Be careful, Adren." She told him.

He nodded and went to wave goodbye… but she had vanished.


	6. First Change

First Change

Adren opened his eyes and slowly took in his surroundings. The bed underneath him was soft and smelled faintly of lavender. He was covered in a soft cotton sheet that also held scent of lavender.

On the walls were soft pastel landscapes along with some cabinets. A rough table and chair set sat in one corner while a rocker sat near the wood stove. On the stove warming was a pot of stew. 

Adren moved his attention to the window and looked outside. The stars and a bright red moon were out casting everything in a sanguine colored light. He could see wood stacked outside. An ax protruding from a tree stump.

Just then the owner's of the house came in. Adren first took in the large man with his buckskin boots, breeches and cotton shirt. His shaggy tawny hair hung well past his collar and his dark brown eyes didn't miss the teen's intense study. 

Adren's eyes then slid to the lady of the house and he gasped. She wore a loose fitting gingham dress over her overripe figure. Her wheat colored hair was pulled back in a severe bun but it wasn't any of those features which startled Adren. It was her golden eyes. The exact same golden eyes that the Booths' wolf had.

"Looks like he's up." The woman told her husband whom only nodded.

Adren gingerly sat up, "Who are you?"

"I'm Constance, this is my husband William." She told him. "We're werewolves if you dinnae guess."

Adren glanced at his miraculously healed arm and gave Constance a wry grin, "I guessed." William chuckled.

"An' who are ye, if you don't mind me askin'?" Constance asked as she retrieved three bowls from the cabinets.

"Adren Far-.." he paused for a moment and then said as William sat down at the table "Adren Foster."

"A-dren." Constance said with a frown as she handed him and William bowls of vegetable stew. "Strange. Very strange."

Adren smirked and thought as he dug into his food, _You don't know the half of it._

They ate their dinner peacefully with little chitchat. Adren learned of the things his former lives missed. The slumbering of the fearsome dragons. The creation of the lamia and vampires. The rise and fall of the Egyptian and Aztec empires. Most importantly, he learned of the Night World.

"The Night World is merely the world of us shapeshifters, witches and vampires." Constance explained. "Nobody knows of our existence… and that's the way it's supposed tae be." She added fiercely. "First law of this here world: Don't reveal our world tae the humans. If ye do, your dead."

Adren looked at the feral looks the couple gave him and audibly gulped before nodding.

"Second rule: don't ye be _falling in love_ with some human lass." Constance snorted, "We wolves have plenty of bitches for ye tae love." 

"Plus we'd have'tae kill ye." Constance said with a predatory smile that softened when she spied the fear in Adren's eyes. 

"Maybe, ye ought to rest a bit before hearing more of William and me world." She said gently pushing Adren back into bed. "Ye've only just been changed!"

"Why _did_ you change me, Constance?" Adren asked her as fatigue finally took its toil and his eyes began drifting shut. "You must have _(yawn)_ seen I was trying to help."

Constance eyes became dark, "I've never seen a _Fianna_ before. I thought with your coloring you would be one."

William placed a hand on his mate's shoulder, sending her warm, loving thoughts to counteract her doubt and indecision.

"What is a _Fianna_?" Adren asked as his eyes drifted shut and Constance tucked him in.

"A very rare and special wolf changeling." She said softly as she smoothed an errand lock from the boy's brow. "Its fur is dark as night and his eyes blazes with verdant fires."

Adren first became aware of a soft wet thing snuffling in his ear. Then of the thing nudging his arm. He cracked his eyes open to lock with small puppy dog eyes that belong to a small girl with flaxen furry ears popping out under a mass of brown curls.

"Are you _Fianna_?" the little wolf-child asked in a small voice as Adren rose from bed. "Momma says you're one."

From the table William growled at his daughter and a pale furry tail darted out from under the girl's dress.

"Mary, hush and leave Mister Foster alone." Constance scolded from the stove as the girl bounded over to her father and hopped into his lap.

"Are you and Poppa going to introduce Mister Foster to the pack?" Mary asked her mother as Adren walked to the table and sat down.

"Pack?" he exclaimed swinging around to face Constance. "There's more werewolves around town?"

Constance sent a furtive glance to her husband and daughter before returning to the pan of bacon and eggs she was cooking.

A minute later, she ambled over with the pan, heaped four plates full of food and sat down at the table before responding.

"We're nowhere near town, Adren." Constance told him as William and Mary began consuming their food. "In fact, ye are around a hundred miles from where William and I found ye."

Adren frowned, "You couldn't have taken me a hundred miles in a couple of hours!"

It was Mary's turn to frown. "You haven't been here a couple of hours. You've been here a couple of weeks!" the girl exclaimed.

Constance explained further as Adren ate.

"I watched from a far as those awful twins loaded ye up in a wagon and dump your body miles away from town. I called up some of my kind in the area to watch ye while I went to get William and a wagon. It took a week to get him and another week to bring ye here. Since then ye've been our guest."

"You've been pouring broth down my throat I take it" Adren said wryly.

"Yup, and I helped too." Mary announced proudly. 

Adren smiled as William ruffled his daughter's hair.

"So when do I get introduced to the pack?" he asked after breakfast.

"Tonight, during the full moon." Constance replied. "While ye've been out, your body has been readying for the Change, a definite must."

Adren paled and silently ate the rest of his breakfast.

_This day is truly one of beginnings. I am no longer a witch locked inside a boy's body. I am no longer a simple farm boy with the spirit of another. I am the wolf and the wolf is me. _

Let no man bind me by word or deed and have my soul ever be free.

As the moon rose, Adren could feel the first stirrings of the change. He felt as if a million fire ants were crawling and nipping at his skin. Pain shot at him from beneath his eyes, forcing him to squeeze them shut where more pain would greet him.

William and Constance desperately dragged him onward deep into the woods where Adren would be safe to change, surrounded by the warm pleasant scent and thoughts of the pack. 

Slightly behind them, Mary whined with every gasp of pain he let out then would howl mournfully. Other howls would echo hers, gradually getting louder as they approached a small cave. The four of them barely made it safely deep inside before the Change over came Adren.

Around him, glowing red eyes watched as bones cracked and reformed while soft black hair sprouted from his skin at an amazing rate. Adren felt his teeth sharpen, his senses heighten and the pain and joy that came with it made him want to scream.

Finally when the pain and joy seemed to be too much, he screamed…but it came out as a drawn out howl and then he collapsed in a black furry heap.

Adren opened his blazing green eyes and gingerly rose to his four padded feet. He stayed down and alert, watching the crowd of unfamiliars of his kind. 

He saw two tawny wolves begin to approach him, standing erect, holding their tail aloft and their ears up and forward. The one circling him was massive, far larger than Adren, with midnight brown eyes. The other standing in front of him was more familiar, from its black and wheat colored fur to its golden eyes. But Adren dare not move or look away from the other wolf.He might bite.

The larger wolf finally made a complete circle around and cautiously padded over to Adren. He sniffed the smaller wolf's snout then turned, hiked up his leg and urinated on Adren. A happy yipping sound filled the pack's den once the alpha accepted the younger male. Feelings of excitement and pride flooded Adren's senses.

_You are Fianna!_ Mary's voice said inside his mind, as a young tawny pup raced between his legs and playfully nipped his tail. _Momma was right!_

Adren turned and nudged the pup, laughing silently when she tripped over her own paws and fell.


	7. Pack Life

Pack Life

After each wolf greeted Adren, their alpha, William, led the hunters and Adren out of the den for Adren's first hunt. Memories of the prehistory hunts came to Adren as he followed William as he and the more experienced hunters tracked down a scent or sign of prey. 

He remembered Kel putting his nose to the ground trying to smell out caribou as the pack were doing. He recalled the thrill the hunts always gave him, the same thrill he got when the pack spotted a rabbit.

Adren began chasing the hare through the woods followed discretely by the pack. He ran through brambles and leapt over holes until his prey darted into its hollow. He began digging and sticking his snout inside the hole in an attempt to retrieve his lost prey.

_Leave it,_ William told him. _It was too fast._

Disappointment flooded Adren and stayed with him until the pack and him left the woods and snuck toward some cowboys and their herd of cattle.

_Stay close to me, Adren _William told him as the pack howled letting any other pack know this was their prey. _These humans will try to kill you with their lead bullets and though they cannot kill you, they will see our healing abilities and become suspicious. _

Remember rule number one that Constance taught you.

Never reveal the Night World to humans, Adren replied solemnly.

_Good now let's hunt!_ William exclaimed and ran past the boy.

With an excited yip, Adren joined the hunt.

The pack easily stirred the herd into a stampede amidst curses from the cowboys. As the humans shot at the pack, they isolated the weakest heifer and steered it toward the woods. Then the pack followed their stolen prey, leaving the cowboys to calm the herd and rationalize the wolves' strange technique.

The pack allowed Adren to make all the strikes to the cow's sides and rump while they tired the beast out. Finally when blood loss and fatigue took it toils, the bovine collapsed.

Together, the wolves dragged the cow back to their den and everyone ate heartily of the flesh. Since today was Adren's day, William allowed a breach of etiquette and relinquished the heart to him. The night passed with the howls of celebration filling the sky but all too soon it had to end. Before long, the pack scattered to back to their human homes, some staying to ensure the den stayed their own. Constance, William, Mary and Adren loped back to their cabin and readied for bed.

"Did ye have fun tonight?" Constance asked Adren as she spread of a pallet near the stove for him to sleep on.

He nodded, "The first parts where I was changing and was scared that William was going to kill me wasn't too fun." Adren shrugged as he continued, "But once we hunted I couldn't believe I wasn't born in the form of a wolf."

"Nor could I." Constance said with a smile as she finished the pallet and Adren lay down. _I'm glad you don't resent the gift Constance has given you._ William told him as Constance crawled into her bed with her daughter and husband.

"It's a good gift." Adren replied faintly, recalling the words his past self. He shook himself as Constance blew out the lamp, sending the cabin into darkness.

_William, why don't you ever talk aloud?_ Adren asked a moment later. 

_Because I cannot talk. _William replied. _Pack law decrees if one wants to become leader of their pack they must challenge and kill the alpha. During my battle for leadership, my foe destroyed what would be my voice box in human form. Thus is life among our kind._

How can the beauty I saw tonight be a part of the picture of bloodthirstiness you describe to me? Adren inquired. 

William chuckled, _You are truly Fianna, Adren. Not only in appearances but in heart as well._

What is a Fianna?

Fianna's are described as a pure souled wolf. It cannot see evil, it does not understand hate. All it knows is purity and light. William explained.

__

I don't think I'm a Fianna then, Adren told him quietly. _I understand hate all too well._

William was silent for a moment before replying.

_Go to sleep, Adren. It's late. _

In the morning, Adren and Mary carried baskets into the woods to collect berries near the den. Along the way, the two met other younger members of the pack's families as they went about their tasks. Some were in their human forms dressed like any child of the day, others were wolves seen helping pulling plows, herding sheep or other live stock on nearby farms skirting the woods.

"Is this normal?" Adren asked Mary as they passed a woman attempting to bathe a struggling pup in a water trough. "This looks like a small werewolf town."

"Of course it looks like a werewolf town, it _is_ one!" Mary said with a giggle. "Luna Grove is an town a bunch Night People formed years ago with some human Indians."

"I haven't seen any." 

Mary smiled brightly as she spotted a bush full of plump berries and raced ahead, forcing Adren to follow.

"The Indians aren't here right now," Mary explained. "They followed a herd of buffalo and won't be back until next year."

Adren began filling a basket watching the young girl stuff purple-black mulberries into her mouth. Once one basket was full of mulberries, they later discovered a pecan tree where Adren knocked down the brown nuts so Mary could collected them in the basket with little trouble. 

Their next stop was to gather some wild radishes that grew along a creek bed near a farm. Two pups that were supposed to be herding goats warmly greeted the two as they pulled the vegetables from the earth. Mary and Adren left shortly before the pups' mother discovered her prized roses being gobbled up by the wayward livestock.

By lunchtime, Constance had two baskets of berries, another full basket of pecans, radishes and a jar of goat's milk. After a meal of biscuits and gravy, William assigned Adren the task of gathering and cutting firewood.

Alone in the woods, Adren shucked off his clothes, changing into a wolf and carried his pants in his mouth as he began stuffing them with kindling. Once his pants were full, he changed back into his human form and tied his shirt around him to fill with heavier wood. When his shirt was laden with wood, Adren changed back, snatched up his pants and dragged the wood back to the cabin.

William laughed at the scene Adren presented dragging his clothes loaded with firewood toward the man. He never expected his newest pack member and adopted son to be so inventive as use his clothes to retrieve firewood.

_If I knew you were going to do that, I would have hooked you up to wagon. _William told him scratching the wolf behind the ears and began stacking the wood into a pile.

_Could you do that? _Adren inquired. _I don't like the possibility of sleeping in clothes full of splinters. _

I'll have Constance hem up a pair of my pants and give you one of my shirts to sleep in. William said with a chuckle. _But first I'll hitch you up to that wagon._

Five minutes later, Adren was back in the woods, this time with William, dragging a small pine wagon that steadily filled with heavy timber. To Adren, the load seemed to weigh no more than a bag of flour but in reality weighed several hundred pounds.

The sun was beginning to set by the time William and Adren dragged the wagon back to the cabin and decided to leave the stacking for tomorrow. Constance gave the boy his new clothes as William and him washed up for supper.

"We need tae go tomorrow into the town proper tae get more flour." Constance announced at the dinner table later. 

Adren looked up from his plate of boiled radishes, biscuits and venison. 

_I hear a bunch of vampires are there,_ William told his wife. _Do we really need to go into town?_

Constance nodded, "Adren needs ta be havin' clothes of his own and Mary needs some new shoes."

William gave his wife a curt nod. _All right then, I'll take Adren and the pup into town in the morning after the boy and I stack wood._


	8. Soulmate

Soulmate

Luna Grove looked to be a normal town in the world. A blacksmith's shop sat at the edge of town next to a sable full of horses. A hotel was bustling with business as William, Adren and Mary walked into town just recently back into their human forms. Next to the hotel a saloon sat with painted up _ladies_ lounging at the double doors.

As Adren passed the three women following William into the general store, they sent him coy glances and invitations for the night.

Inside the general store the proprietor was busy serving a man and woman. As William looked for shoes for Mary, Adren studied the man and woman.

The woman had long raven dark hair swept back and pinned on top of her head with delicate curls framing her incredibly beautiful pale face. Her eyes were constantly changing all the colors of the rainbow, made all the more beautiful since they were hers. Her dress was a dark violet made of the finest silk and lace. Her shoes smelled new, a new leathery scent mixed with the scent of blood.

But it was not the vampire that held the most interest. It was the familiar man beside her.

His coppery hair was cut short and swept back away from his handsome face, revealing nothing that would have been a horn in another form. His eyes were the only sign that the blood of dragons flowed inside his veins. For only a dragon would have those pure obsidian eyes. His clothes were of a dapper man of the times. A black suit, minus the tie and coat and instead of the hat befitting a gentleman, Erikthya wore a black leather Stetson. 

_Please don't let him have seen me!_ Adren begged as he quickly found interest in a bag of beans. _Great Creator and Goddess above, don't let him see me! _

"Erik, does this hat become me?" the woman asked and Adren quickly glanced back at the vampire as she tried on a gaudy hat full of pink feathers.

Adren saw Erikthya smirk as he replied, "Maya, your fashion sense is as lovely as ever."

At that Maya burst out laughing and tossed the hat away from her. She watched it fly across the store and turned back to her companion.

"Shall we shop elsewhere?" she asked him.

Something stirred inside Adren and Erik. Cold shivers down their spine. A sense of the strange and of anticipation, as if something was about to occur. It caused Erik to pause.

"You may go on, my dear." He said scanning the store in a daze. "I—think I'll stay for a moment longer."

Adren moved to the back of the store nondescriptly to look at some shirts and pants in his size. He studied each article all the awhile keeping half an eye on where Erik was in the store. Somehow as Adren looked at clothing, he lost track of Erik until he was right behind him.

Erik studied the smaller young man before him sensing he ought to somehow know him. He examined Adren's dark hair, breathed in its intoxicating scent. Moved to see his emerald eyes, sifting through to his very soul. A bittersweet tug came to Erik's heart and he finally realized whom he faced.

"The witch." He hissed in amazement.

Adren turned to face his soulmate and tilted his head up to look the man in the eyes. _Well there goes my idea of hiding forever._

"My _name_ is Adren and I would appreciate if you would call me that if you _must_ talk about me." he snapped.

Erik took a surprised step back and then smirked, "Fine then, _Adren_. I see you've changed much since we last parted."

"Don't like the new look?" Adren asked hiding his fear behind scorn. "I bet you've been plotting on what you'd do to me the day we met again."

He put a hand on his hips, "Perhaps raping me. Or stabbing me or cutting out my heart." Adren shook his head and pushed past Erik.

"No that's too cliché." He spun around and exclaimed, "I know, why don't you just beat me up!"

Erik slapped Adren, knocking him to the ground.

"Is that a good start?" he asked towering over the smaller man.

Just then William and Mary rushed over to them. Mary knelt beside her friend as her father stood up to Erik.

_You had better leave, _William told him, sensing the shifter blood inside Erik. _Now!_

"I don't think your wolf friend knows who he's trifling with." The dragon said with a sinister smile. "Perhaps I shall show him."

"No!" Adren cried a second too late as his soulmate reached out and effortlessly snapped William's neck. Mary's scream filled the room as her father's limp body fell to the floor. The dragon stalked over to the two huddled werewolves.

"How _could_ you?" Adren asked lifting his tear filled eyes to him. "Why?"

Erik looked down upon him as he ripped the sobbing girl away from Adren and held her aloft.

"Because you loved them" 

With a flick of his thumb, Mary joined her father in death.

Hate filled Adren as he gazed at the empty eyes of his new family. The ones who took him in, who cared for him, who fed him and died for him.

With a cry of rage, Adren changed. Muscles strained as bones snapped and reformed. His jaws lengthen and deadly fangs exploded from his mouth. Midnight fur grew in waves over his paws and newly grown tail. 

His clothes lay in shreds but Adren no longer had use for human things. His mind took on the fury of a hurt animal. He took a step and growled, bearing his bloody fangs menacingly at the startled dragon. Adren the wolf needed only one thing now.

__

The dragon's bloody heart in his jaws!!

Adren leapt and bore Erik to the ground as the storekeeper ran outside. His teeth snapped inches from the dragon's throat, the only thing preventing victory was Erik's inhuman strength. They wrestled on the floor seeking dominance, knocking shelf upon shelf down.

Suddenly Adren was whipped away from his prey and thrown back a few feet. With a slight twist of his torso, the wolf landed on his feet and turned to the one who interfered in his fight. 

Maya, Erik's companion, barred her fangs at him and said to her ally.

"Is _this_ the reason why you chose to stay, Erikthya? To kill a couple of stupid shapeshifter and anger another?"

Erik slowly pulled himself to his feet, "No, Maya. I stayed to chat with an old —_friend_." 

Adren growled at him with the threat of danger. _You and I are _not_ friends and _never_ have been._

I recall, in a moment of weakness, you wanted us to be much more, Erik reminded him.

_Yours… or mine?_

Erik glared at the wolf and addressed Maya.

"My lady, do me a immense favor and retrieve a few of your men." As Maya slinked off to do his bidding, he added, "I'd like Adren, here to get reacquainted with another old friend. _Pain._"

Maya exited the store with the elegance of a predator and returned with three equally predatory men. All were dressed as courtly as their mistress and as dangerous. 

They circled Adren, trying to trap the now feral animal. They did not account for the human side that remained inside of the black wolf. With the grace born of years on the hunt, Adren darted between one of the vampires' feet and dove at Erik once more. But he was ready for such a move.

He ducked and grasped one of Adren's paws to knock him flat on his back so the three vampires could easily muzzle and tress him up like a pig on a spit.

"What would you like for us to do with the mutt for now?" a vampire asked Erik as Adren hung upside down hanging from a pole between the vampires by his tied paws. It was an embarrassing position that sent pain up and down each of his joints.

Erik lifted Adren's head up by the scruff of his neck. Electricity flowed through to Adren as he began seeing through a pink haze of comfort and warmth. He could sense Erik's hidden and unexplainable love he hid from himself. Adren could see the hurt and confusion Erik felt upon seeing the new form Adren had been granted. _And it angered him…_

"Still the fighter, eh little witch?" he asked through the haze. "You never gave up in your pointless trust in me and now you never gave up on your hopeless quest to kill me."

_The moment you try _anything_, I will rip you throat out!_ Adren snapped jerking his head free and growled low in his throat.

Erik chuckled, _And still strangely I have feelings for you. _He punched the wolf and it yelped in pain. _Your enchantment eons ago still invades my body even though you're as male as me!_

_Thanks for the compliment, Erikthya_, Adren replied with a snicker.

"Take the beast away from me!" Erik roared to the vampire lackeys. "I must think upon which of the many tortures I wish to inflict on this _creature._"

_Jealous of the fact I can change forms and you can't_?

Erik pulled his fist back and knocked Adren out before the vampires carried him away.

"She's gotten cocky." He muttered.

Maya smiled slinking up to Erik.

"Would that wolf happen to be your _soulmate_?" she asked innocently.

The dragon spun on her, "Soulmates are excuses for weaklings like your _Theirry_."

The woman's smile disappeared, "So what are you going to do? Kill him?"

"My lady there are worse things in this world than death." Erik's face darkened as a sinister smile spread across his face. "Through me, Adren will pass into a land of eternal pain and suffering. Then he will beg for the death that only I may grant him."

Sorry for the delay, I got writer's block around chapter 10 and forgot to update up to that chapter. More tomorrow.


	9. Dog Fight

Dog fight

Time passed differently for him. Two weeks of starvation and beatings seemed like mere days to him. Months would pass and all Adren would see was his small silver cage and his new owners, the Booth twins. 

Sun up from sun down, the sweat scented Kelly would force the muzzled werewolf to run twenty laps around town. Which was one to three hundred feet around. After laps Ashley, who stunk of cigars and alcohol, would beat Adren into a feral state where he would attack any and everything.

At night while the twins were deeply asleep or out whoring, Maya and Erik would sneak in and taunt him.

"Stupid dog, can't get out of his box." Maya told him and turned to Erik with a laugh, "Isn't it pathetic."

"Very." Erik purred. _If you're real nice, I'll give you a nice juicy bone to gnaw on._

Adren lunged at the two inside his cage with such rage and animosity, he was without words or speech. In his angered state, he truly became the wolf that was his other side.

Erik chuckled and his face lit up demonically, "Oh! By the way, I've been meaning to tell you something but I've been _so_ busy."

Adren growled low in his throat, a red glow reflecting in his eyes from the moon outside.

"You don't have to worry about that werewolf, I killed his wife." 

The muzzled beast was silent.

"She wasn't a widow for long." Erik said with a smile.

He laughed, _And before I forget, you had a grandmother in your first life, didn't you. Her and I had a chat after I killed you. It was long and very painful In fact, I got straight to her heart… and ate it._

Adren lunged and snapped at the cage with a roar. _Constance. Elder. No!_

"Something to think upon." Erik told him as him and Maya melted into the night.

After that revelation, Adren saw them no more and the nights were filled with the victims of the Booths' cruelty.

A German Shepherd whose face was mangled almost beyond recognition. Rottweiler females swollen with puppies who will only have one to nurse instead of a litter. Whimpering of those who survived the day but will never walk again. Rooster bodies littering the floor, only to be eaten by the day's victor.

Then one day Kelly and Ashley opened his cage, tied a rope to his muzzle and led him to the ring. It was his turn to fight for his life.

The roar of the crowd filled his sensitive ears as the three of them stepped into the ring. Across the dirt floor, a slobbering tan and white boxer strained against his trainer. In the crowd, vendors sold peanuts, and cigarettes to the gathered men and later sat back to watch the fight.

Kelly hopped up into the crowd as Ashley prepared remove the muzzle and run up to safety before Adren could attack.

"You win us some good money, you hear mutt." Kelly screamed from the crowd. "You tear that dog up like the monster you are!"

_Monster._

Suddenly the muzzle sprang open and the boxer was released. Adren ignored the fat human scrambling up the wall and waited for the boxer to come at him. When the monster dove at him, he leapt straight up and let it run past him. As he landed, Adren nipped the dog's stubby tail.

The crowd laughed as the boxer dove at the black beast's feet, only to have it leap over it. The matched continued like so until it grew boring and the men began to boo at both animals.

Ashley dangled a kitten in front of the tiring boxer and it attacked the poor animal. Its fluffy white fur became blood stained and its bones snapped, just as Mary and William's necks did.

Adren's visions turned red, focusing on the murdering dog. He leaped at the beast and sank his teeth into its jugular. He ripped his head side to side as blood sprayed into his mouth. The blood tasted good and he tore into the dog again forcing it to release the kitten.

As the boxer lay dying, Adren gently picked the kitten up and laid it onto the ground. He nudged the tiny furball with his nose and when it did not move, Adren let out a series of mournful cries.

The crowd faded away, the muzzle returned and once more he was back in his silver cage. But he was not alone.

A small gray pup cowered in a corner as Adren was pushed inside. He examined the gray creature with its fear filled honey colored eyes. He sensed no shifter blood in… her. He sniffed her and discovered the scent of the forest near Luna Grove. Adren gently lifted the pup by the scruff of her neck, settled down and placed her in the protective curl of his body.

All the while, the Booth twins watched.

"See I told you that mutt would protect that lobo*." Ashley exclaimed slapping his twin on the arm. "He pounded that boxer because it killed that cat."

A light of realization dawn on Kelly.

"So we stick the lobo in too and the mutt'll fight like a momma bear protectin' her cub."

They both nodded and left with sinister grins on their faces.

The next day, Adren and the pup were brought out early enough to see the cock fights before the dogfights. Adren curiously watched the roosters peck and scratch at each other until one lay a bloody mess. The owner, a heavyset man, scooped up the ruined chicken with a curse and flung it out with the garbage.

Adren's opponent today was a pit bull. Its fur grew in strange designs where scars made from years of fighting lay hidden. It was an ugly beast that snapped at everyone nearby.

"You understand me, mutt." Ashley snapped at Adren waving a whip under his nose. "You best win this fight an' know who yer master is."

He pointed at the puppy in the corner, "You don't…" Ashley cracked the whip at her and she whimpered, curling in on herself.

Kelly removed the muzzle and Adren yawned but stayed perfectly still. The twins looked satisfied as they lugged their bodies up the wall and stood over the pup.

The pit bull eyed the pup ominously, its mouth salivating at the chance at snapping her small neck. Adren kept his eyes on the dog and bent down low. The beast was short and would try to get at his throat then when he was helpless, it would go for the pup.

_I lost humanity, my friends, and my true family. I will _not_ lose my pup! _Adren's mind screamed. _She's mine! Mineminemine!_

As he surmised, the pit bull tried to go for his throat but Adren kept down low. He backed up, grabbed the pup and flipped her onto his back.

_Grab on._ He urged the pup silently. The pup latched onto the scruff of his neck.

He growled at his foe menacing then quickly struck and leapt over it. Before the dog could turn, Adren pinned him to the ground and scratched his eyes out. Before the dog could strike, Adren dashed away and deposited the pup in a corner.

The crowd loved it. They cheered as he attacked and leapt over the dog avoiding the blind attacks of the creature. The owner screamed at the dog, cursed it and finally threw in the towel when Adren snapped its leg, hiked up his leg and urinated on it.

_My victim, _Adren thought as he padded back to the puppy. _My puppy._

Six months later he thought just that as another dog fell to "The Black Demon", a name the Booths' gave him. The puppy, he named Luna, sat patiently in front of Kelly as Adren was muzzled and then both were led back to their cages.

"You did good back their Blackie, so your lil girlfriend doesn't get another beatin' like last week." Ashley told him as they were shoved roughly into their cages.

Adren remembered that day well. Luna's yelps and pain were branded into his mind forever.

"Why're you talkin' to that thing?" Kelly exclaimed. "He's just a dumb mutt."

Ashley smirked, "The dumb mutt's been getting us hundreds of dollars."

Kelly laughed, "Yeah, him _and_ the lobo."

Adren growled at the twins, causing them to jump then turned his attention to his food, dismissing them as unimportant. _Now how to get that bone past these straps._

"You ever seen such a strange mutt?" Ashley asked his brother watching the werewolf hold his bone between his paws and slip it past the muzzle straps into his mouth.

Kelly pulled out his handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his face.

"Can't say that I have."

"Ever wonder about the strange man and purty lady that sold us the mutt?" Ashley asked cutting his eyes toward Kelly.

Kelly looked at his brother, "Yeah. Strange couple. Strange dog." He paused and put his hanky back in his pocket. "Let's go make Old Man Foster think that Adrien's ghost's come to visit him."

The two scampered off with a laugh. Inside his cage, Adren cocked his head.

_Old Man Foster? Adrien? Why do those names sound familiar?_

With a tired sigh, he laid down and went to sleep.

*Translation

Lobo is Spanish for wolf, it also can be used to describe a half dog, half wolf. 


	10. Freedom

Freedom

"Today's the day!" Ashley exclaimed drunkenly to his twin, rousing Adren the next morning. "I got our Demon in a thousand dollar match."

Kelly, who was guzzling moonshine from a jug, choked. "How? Where?" he sputtered.

"'Member those two who gave us ol' Blackie?" when his twin nodded Ashley continued. "They got this new couple of dogs that they wanna fight with at our place for a private party."

Both twins let out a whoop at the same time and dashed off to prepare. 

_Adren_

Inside his cage, the werewolf growled at the familiar voice inside his head. Luna watched him puzzled.

_What are you doing now, Adren Foster? Noble Aztec priestess Adenanstar. Lady Adrene Farst. My beloved Adrena._ Erik asked him. 

Adren stopped growling and seemed to wear a confused frown… had he been in human form.

_I remember the all the lives I took from you. I remember your feral scent when we first met. I remember each and every time your spell overtook my senses and mystified my mind._

Erik continued as if in a daze. _You are so different now than all the other lives you've lived, but still the same. Your eyes and hair. _He sighed. _I used to want you and I to be the same and now that we are, how can I still can love you?_

_Because we are soulmates,_ something inside Adren whispered.

_No!_ Erik roared shaken out of his reverie. _Soulmates are for pathetic fools! I am not a fool! _Then he was gone from inside Adren's mind. 

Emptiness filled him, one that came and went every time Erik entered and left his life. Adren let out a mournful howl that was joined by Luna's a moment later. A howl symbolic of the sorrow of the sadness inside his heart.

The place stunk of expensive cigars and water down alcohol. It was okay; nobody in the saloon was drinking it anyway. Most preferred to drink blood. 

Thierry Descouedres watched the twin owners with distaste. They were the lowest of humans. They obviously were cheating at cards. They were filthy, crude and tried convincing Thierry he needed to go upstairs with one of their girls. There was only one girl for him and Maya killed her.

That's who brought Thierry to the party Maya was throwing. That and the rumor there was a dragon with her. 

Across from him surrounded by elite vampires, dark witches and funky shapeshifters sat Maya happily chatting with some man that wasn't human or Night World. At their feet, was a slobbering werewolf mindlessly attacking a ham bone.

_The stranger must be the dragon_, Thierry thought with a frown. _How is it he's here and what are Maya and he doing with that werewolf?_

The answer to one of his questions came a moment later.

"Maya, how ever did you wake your dragon there?" a witch inquired.

Maya chuckled and let Erik tell the tale.

"Actually, I've never been placed in eternal slumber." He said with a laugh. "When the others of my kind were put asleep, I was overlooked; which is easy to do if you're busy battling giant scaly lizards with horns."

"I notice you don't have one." Someone else threw in and Erik scowled.

"Despite the fact I am not as powerful as my kin, I know far darker and more powerful magics than any creature has ever known to make up for that fact." He growled.

A tense silence followed that was broken when Kelly laughed and exclaimed, "Well, shall we get on with the entertainment side of this party?"

The arena behind the saloon was packed with strange creatures and _him._ His stench was unmistakable. The blood of his heart was his breath. The deaths of his pack and family were on his head. When Ashley dragged him and Luna out, Adren looked up, saw him leering and growled.

"That's a good Demon." Ashley purred to him, "You kill that doggie over there."

Across from him, he sensed another of his kind but different. His mind was empty except for one thing, _Kill._ He stunk of vampires and innocent's blood but not unlike Adren, the werewolf was feral.

Thierry couldn't believe what his senses and eyes were telling him what the entertainment was. Two werewolves, one the brown and white he saw earlier and a new pure black wolf with unusual dark green eyes, were to battle to the death. He watched as Kelly lifted a normal wolf up to his brother and murmured a threat to the black werewolf: if he died, the wolf would too.

Thierry shook his head. _If those two had more brains, they'd know that wolf is human. As is, they know he understands them._

Suddenly the fight began and Maya's werewolf leaped forward toward Adren, who easily avoided the attack by simply jumping over the animal. Then both wolves sized one another, growling and showing teeth.

The feral went for Adren's throat and he countered by going low—exactly what the creature wanted. Without warning, Adren found the monster on his back holding on to his flesh between his neck and shoulders. He rolled with the fiend, attempting to knock him off in the tussle. When that didn't work, Adren slammed his back into the side of the arena—only to have the creature release him and have Adren smash himself into the wall.

The feral growled in triumph when Adren fell into a dazed lump and dove for his throat again. Only Adren wasn't there and the monster went headfirst into the wall. Above him, crouched on the edge of the wall was Adren in all his naked glory in human form grinning maniacally at his fallen foe. 

The Booth's began to run as Adren turned his animalistic grin on them and took a step toward then as he changed back into a wolf. Now loose, Luna and Adren began their escape.

As they ran startling vampire, witches and shifters alike out of their seats, Adren heard the familiar crack of a neck breaking and then a second a moment later.

"Get those animals!" Erik roared and Adren spun with a growl to advance on him. When he saw what Adren had done, Erikthya laughed.

"Do you want someone do stop him?" Maya inquired fanning herself with her silk fan as Thierry watched the scene with fascination.

"No, let him come." He replied with a smile, his eyes never leaving Adren as he once again shifted from wolf to human.

Time seemed to slow. The world around them vanished. Anger and sexual frustration filled the air between them.

When they were face to face, Adren growled and bared his strangely sharp teeth at Erik who gingerly reached out and caressed his soulmate's cheek.

"Your eyes have gotten darker, more savage looking." He told Adren who snapped at his hand. 

Adren didn't respond or release Erik's captured fingers, nor did the dragon attempt to take them back.

"And you hair is so tangled, little witch."

At that Adren lashed out and kicked him in the groin before delivering a vicious uppercut that knocked Erik flat on his back. Then he quickly shifting into a wolf bounded off.

Maya watched her dragon companion writhe in pain with amusement as Thierry unseen dashed outside after the two wolves.

Freedom, Adren would remember later, tasted of ambrosial blood and smelled of sweet grass. The colors of town were heightened. Deep indigoes melted into endless blacks. Pale ivory moonlight shined from a sky of radiant navy with tiny pinpricks of bright starry light.

Behind him, Adren heard the sound of something pursuing and reached into his unbounded wild energies to race faster into the night. The wind whipped through his midnight fur, the ground passed in a blur of movement and still the vampire stayed with him.

The town was gone and a dark horizon of flat land greeted Luna and Adren. Side by side, as they were in slavery, the wolves fled. Claws dug into hard earth, a harsh wind kicked up dust into their sensitive eyes but the two never stopped. Freedom had come and nobody was going to steal it away.

_I'll not harm you!_ Thierry cried to Adren inside his animal mind. _I do not know what Maya and her dragon have done to you or you friend but I swear I'm not your enemy._

Adren yelped in pain as his paw landed wrong, sending him into the ground with all the momentum he built up running from Thierry. Luna halted and came back to her companion.

Pain sliced through his leg every time Adren dare move to attempt getting away. Fear came when both wolves spied Thierry approach. Luna took up a protective position and growled menacing at the stranger when he came.

"It's alright." He told them both in a soothing tone. "I only wish to help."

When he slowly moved closer, Luna growled in warning. He went down onto his knees and held out his hand to her in a gesture of peace.

"There's no need to fear me. I'm a friend." He told them softly. "It's okay."

Not used to human kindness, Luna growled and inched closer but stayed protective of the injured Adren.

"That's it, my friend." Thierry murmured. "Come see me. I'll not hurt you."

Luna inched closer as he encouraged her until she was eye to eye and sniffed him. While she investigated, he gingerly began petting her and continued until she realized what he was doing.

She jerked back and Adren whimpered as she slowly came back for another pet. Thierry gave the lobo what she desired and even scratched her behind the ears affectionately.

"I'm going to look at your companion now." Thierry told Luna slowly rising to his feet, motioning toward Adren. Then he slowly approached the werewolf with Luna following discreetly behind.

He knelt down in front of Adren and gingerly examined the injured leg. Whenever Adren would yelp, Thierry would stop whatever he was doing and gently pet him until the pain went away or he was calmed down.

"I'm going to call a friend to come with a wagon to take you and your partner with me where it's safe." Thierry informed him before telepathically calling his friend to come.


	11. Man lessons

Man lessons

An old woman rode up in a wagon with another gentleman an hour later that night. Next the woman sat another person, a man that looked around Thierry's age. When he approached Thierry and Adren, Luna growled.

"He's a friend, girl." Thierry told her as the man paused where he stood. "He's here to carry the injured one to the wagon."

Luna relaxed but watched the man intensely as him and Thierry carried Adren between them and delicately laid him in the wagon. Once safely inside, Luna and Thierry hopped in the back while the man sat in the front and took off in the wagon toward safety.

The Black Rose ranch and farm was a rarity in those days of bloody conflict between ranchers and farmers. The cowhands, mostly post Circle Daybreakers meticulously mended the barb fencing so the neighboring farmlands wouldn't be victim to the hunger of the sheep and cattle.

In exchange for their cooperation, the ranch received fresh grown vegetables and fruit and the farm would receive fresh meat and wool.

As the wagon rolled into Thierry's lands, Adren spied a giant stone mansion with two floors, glass windows and wood shutters. Nearby the house was a large bunkhouse for the hands while in the distance he could spot a red barn and log cabin on the other end of a fence.

"Welcome to my home." Thierry told Adren and Luna. "I hope this might become your home as well… just don't eat all my livestock."

The last statement puzzled Adren as they pulled up in front of the manor until he heard the faint lowing of sheep and cattle.

_Sheep and cows off-limits._ Adren told Luna. _Hunt them only when I say._ She seemed to nod as the wagon stopped.

Thierry turned to Luna as the old woman and man gingerly carried Adren inside. 

"He'll be fine with my friends." He said calmly as he petted her. "They'll set his leg, then bandage it and you can go inside."

Together they sat there, watching the stars in the sky until the woman came rushing out.

"He's fighting with us." She said breathless. "Got some witch blood in 'em 'cause he's spitting out fireballs at us right and left."

Thierry got up out of the wagon and raced to the door before realizing Luna was following. He knelt down to her level. "Stay here with Mrs. Miller. I'll watch over him."

Reluctantly, Luna sat down and Thierry raced inside.

Inside, true enough, Adren unlocked his magical abilities and was breathing fireballs anytime someone came close. 

Thierry turned to one of the witches in the room, "What happened?"

"We tried snapping the bone back in place." She replied as one of her brothers from the farm doused the flames. "But the bone's twisted and he won't let us touch him again to turn it."

On the bed, Adren growled at everyone.

_Your leg bone is turned the wrong way and is protruding. We need to turn it around._ Thierry told him telepathically. Adren bared his teeth at him and growled.

_I know you understand me. You know we have to do this for you to walk._

From inside Adren's mind, Thierry heard a tiny voice._ Nonono. no more pain. no more!_

When they turn it, there'll be no more pain. Thierry told him. _They'll put soothing herbs on your leg and bandage it. Then the witches here will let it heal._

Adren looked at him hard and relaxed, no fireballs came from his mouth. Slowly the girl and her brothers came to him, held him down and twisted the bone in place as Adren held Thierry's eyes. Then as promised, the girl packed his leg with herbs and bandaged it.

_Let the wolf come in._ Thierry told Mrs. Miller as the farm girl and her brothers left.

"Your leg should be okay by the morning."

Silence.

"Would you like Mrs. Miller to bring you something?" Thierry asked as Luna ran in and leapt up next to Adren. "A steak? Liver? Anything?"

He only watched the vampire as Luna licked his muzzle.

Thierry sighed, "I'll see you in the morning then." With that he got up and shut the door, leaving it slightly ajar in case either wished to explore. But neither did.

Scent of cooking meat drew Adren from his nightmares. He opened his eyes with a start and looked around the strange new surroundings that wasn't his cage.

He lay on a soft feather mattress with layers of blankets on top. Under his head was a pillow that smelled of lavender and lye soap. Near the bed was a nightstand with an oil lamp on top. On the right of the door was a massive chest of drawers made of oak. To the left of the bed was an empty wardrobe.

To his amusement, he found Luna lying in front of the door. Guarding him in sleep as he once did for her.

Adren shifted into his human form and removed the bandage from his miraculously healed leg then got up to test it. When it didn't give way or give him any pain, he silently padded over to rummage in the chest for clothing.

_I can change into human. Humans wear clothing_, he thought selecting a pair of petticoats and a man's poncho made of bright colored of wool. Once dressed, he woke Luna and walked downstairs toward the food.

Thierry was sitting at the head of the table chatting with a few of his ranch hands when Adren made his appearance. His appearance also coincided with Mrs. Miller bringing in a tray of coffee, which she dropped unceremoniously when she went to cover her mouth with her hands.

The shattering of the china glasses scared him and both Adren and Luna crouch and growled at the humans. Adren bared his teeth and crawled slowly to the mess to investigate.

"He don't know how to be human." One of the hands murmured to another. 

As Adren began lapping the spilt coffee with Luna, Thierry decided to bring an end to the spectacle Adren was making.

"Go patrol the fences and see if they need mending." He ordered the humans, "I don't want my cattle or sheep getting into my crops."

"Right sir." One said as they got one last look at Adren and left. 

Thierry looked down at Adren as he looked up at him.

"You need to re-learn how to be a man." 

Adren cocked his head and stood as Thierry stood.

"First thing is first." Thierry said with a small grin, "Let's get you dress properly."

Then he led Adren back upstairs and into his room. Inside Thierry went to the chest and laid out a pair of deer skin pants, a doe skin shirt, and his size boots made from cowhide. Then he waited for Adren to dress. The teen just looked at him.

Thierry sighed, "You need to take off the petticoats and put the pants on. Petticoats are women clothes." He picked the pants up and put them in Adren's arms. 

"Put those on." Thierry told him. Then fingered the stiff skirts on Adren, "Not these."

When Adren only cocked his head, the prehistoric vampire took a deep breath and jerked the skirts off of Adren. The werewolf frowned and looked at the pants in his hands.

"Yes, put those on." Thierry replied then watched as Adren slid the almost skin tight pants on and compared his to the vampire's. Thierry ruffled Adren's hair and said, "Good boy."

Then with a little help, Adren put the shirt and boots on, again examining Thierry's clothes for correctness.

"Ok, let's move on to food." He told the teen as they went back downstairs. "Eggs and bacon should be easy enough to teach a werewolf/witch how to eat."

__

It wasn't.

****

Adren didn't want to wait for scrambled eggs to be dished out. He wanted them—now! Once he saw the bowl on the table, he jumped up on it and ate it straight from the bowl. Then spying bacon, he ran over to it, knocking silverware and glasses to the floor and gobbled up almost every piece.

"Let's try again." Thierry said thirty minutes later as he tied Adren down in the chair, leaving only his arms free.

Adren's clothes were wiped clean, the table was set and this time Mrs. Miller had made toast. Luna sat calmly at the werewolf's feet wondering why her wolf/human friend was allowing himself to be tied.

"This is a fork." Thierry said holding up the utensil and then poked at an imaginary piece of food the put it to his mouth. "You eat with the fork. You try."

He handed Adren the fork and the werewolf mimicked Thierry, only stuck it into his mouth instead of just to it.

"Very good." Thierry said taking the fork back and picked up a spoon. "This is a spoon. You sip with it." He pretended to scoop something from the plate in front of Adren and sip it from the spoon.

Again, the vampire handed the spoon to the werewolf, Adren mimicked him and this time it was Adren who sat the spoon down.

"Excellent. Now this is a knife." Thierry told him picking it up. "You cut with it."

He handed the knife to Adren without miming and the teen took it. First he gripped the handle and stabbed the plate, then he turned it around and tried using it as a spoon. Then insight came to him and he took the fork and pretended to cut a piece of meat using both.

"You're remembering." Thierry told him with a smile as Mrs. Miller came in with Adren's toast. He looked at the food and then at the silverware then back at the food before chucking the fork and knife behind him, picked up the toast and ate it with his hands.

Mrs. Miller tisked, "You'll have to work with him on that."

"I will." Thierry said picking up the silverware.


	12. Calm before the storm

Ranch work wasn't hard on the strange teen Thierry brought to his home almost a month ago. Accompanied by his she-wolf companion, Adren Foster slowly regained his humanity by sweating over fences, weeding gardens and trimming Thierry's prized ruby red roses. 

But still with all his achievements, Adren was still a wild wolf at heart. The herd of cattle and sheep would become nervous anytime that he was around. No horse would allow Adren to ride them didn't hurt. Anytime he needed to move a long distance fast, he would change into his other form and race to where he belong. What did hurt was Adren still hadn't spoken a word.

He understood English. Thierry saw him in the kitchen one day performing a spell from a book in front of him. In fact, he discovered Adren knew at least two other languages. Latin: Thierry walked by his study and found the teen pouring over a book of history, translating it into a blank journal. French: Mrs. Miller reported to Thierry that Adren assisted her in cooking a recipe written in French. Before she could even ask, he had grabbed the ingredient, pointed at the French word then at the ingredient.

_Why hasn't he spoken to any of us?_ Thierry asked himself as he watched Luna and Adren scuffle in the yard. _What happened to you that made you this way?_

"Who are you?" he murmured aloud shutting his eyes and tipped his head up to the sky.

"Adren." Came a weak reply. Thierry opened his eyes and looked down to see the teen standing before him.

"Adren Foster." He told Thierry pointing to himself. Then he pointed to the lobo at his feet. "Luna."

Thierry smiled and felt like whooping with joy but knew it would probably startle the young man and set them back all those days of trust they developed.

"I'm Thierry Descouedres."

Adren nodded and knelt down to pet Luna, who panted happily at his gentle attention.

"Adren, how is it you came to be in the dog fighting arena?" Thierry asked him.

"_He_ sold me."

"Who?"

"The man dragon."

"Why did he do that?" Thierry asked and saw Adren's shoulders stiffen.

"He hates to love." Adren told him, "and loves to hate."

Adren sighed and sat down in front of Thierry. "First I was witch, daughter of the brother of Witch-Queen. Then I was slave, _his_ slave. Then I was royalty, born to marry _him_. And I was priestess to the gods."

He smiled faintly and continued, "Then I was man, loved by many, bit by a wolf that was woman. She cared for me. She and hers took me into their own. Then _he_ found me and took them away from me, like _he_ took me over the ages."

Adren bowed his head, "Fate betrayed him and he took it out on me. Killing me this time was not enough. He wanted me destroyed, inside _and_ out so I would never desire to return…. Or love him."

Realization hit Thierry. "You're his _soulmate_!"

Adren frowned and nodded, "I don't understand the word but it seems right." He looked up at him, "Do you have a soul-mate?"

Thierry's gaze went distant, "I did. But no matter how hard I try, she is always murdered."

"At least she wasn't turned into a man."

Thierry looked at Adren and saw the small smile on his face then laughed.

"Very true."

Thierry and Adren both stood up and headed inside where Mrs. Miller was preparing lunch. Together with Luna, they went into the study and shut the door behind them.

"What do you remember of your first life?" Thierry asked taking a seat behind the massive cedar desk while Adren sat in a comfortable leather chair across from him.

"My name was Adren Far-Star, my father was Bano."

"Hecate's brother?!" Thierry exclaimed stunned. "It was thought he died."

"No, another cave dwelling clan discovered his battered body and took him in. There he lived and sired me before trying to return to his sister. From there he vanished." Adren replied. 

"What do you know of the Night World?" Thierry inquired.

"It's made up of: witches who are descended from the clan of Hecate; shifters, who are ruled by the descendants of a baby dragon; werewolves, who I think should be included with the shifters but generally aren't. There are two types of vampires: lamia and made. All lamia are descended from Maya, renegade daughter of Hecate, twin of the Hearth-Woman. Made vampires are those bitten by lamia or those bitten by the bitten of lamia."

Adren's gaze locked with Thierry's, "You are the first made vampire, the second vampire in creation."

A chill went through Thierry.

"I know."

"They need to be stopped."

Adren nodded, "Yes. Erikthya and Maya need to be stopped" he looked up at Thierry and asked, "But how?"

The vampire ran his fingers through his hair, "The first thing we need to know is what they are plotting."

"What does Maya want?" Adren inquired absently petting Luna. "Erikthya was always a follower in bigger schemes. His goals are to live in hate filled comfort, not use his dragonic sorcery for anything big. Too self absorbed."

Thierry nodded, "I'll send some spies to investigate. Let's get back to you, what other things do you remember of your past lives?"

"I remember my life as Adrena, Erikthya's concubine." Adren replied with a blush. "The first time our eyes met he knew who I was, even if I didn't. Then, I only dreamt of my past. When he killed me, I was so shocked that my devotion was betrayed so."

"In my next life I was Lady Adrene Farst, the betroth of Lord Erik the Drake. Upon meeting my future husband, I saw my previous lives… and then he killed me. It was then he promised to hunt me down every time I returned."

Thierry shook his head in disgust as Adren finished the deathly tale.

"My last life was of a priestess for pagan gods. My earliest memories in that life were of pouring over potions, receiving visions of my past and of _him_. When I was the age I am now, I sensed him coming for me and prepared myself for a battle to the death. I lost."

"What of your past here?" Thierry inquired, "You mentioned you were bit by a werewolf…"

"Yes, her name was Constance. She wanted to see a Fianna, a legend amongst the shape changing wolves." Adren smiled faintly in remembrance. "A peaceful black with eyes of green. A shaman."

"What of your life before?"

Adren shut his eyes and laid his head back, "I'm Adren Foster now."

Thierry nodded andstood up 

"Shall we go to lunch?"

Adren nodded and stood as well, "Yes. Lunch." He replied distantly.

Lunch was ate in silence amongst the few ranch hands that didn't desire to out on the range. 

Thierry watched proud as Adren used the fork and knife sat beside his plate of steak, potatoes and peas. The humans at the table didn't seem to notice or mind that Thierry himself didn't eat. Having a werewolf around or vampire for a boss was a price they'd gladly pay for the money Thierry offered.

"So where should my spies start to find out what Maya and Erikthya are up to." Thierry said after lunch as they both were safely behind the closed doors of the study.

"Find a place where there are animal fights. Dog, were, cock, it won't matter. In one of them you shall find Erik." Adren replied.

"And from there Maya." Thierry added and Adren nodded.

Spy reports came in around dinner. Thierry had just sat down at the table and Adren began to eat when a small nondescript man scuttled in and whispered something into the vampire's ear. The something seemed to deeply disturb Thierry who stayed silent throughout dinner.

After dinner, the vampire lord called Adren into the study and began speaking to him only after the door was shut behind him.

"Maya wants the dragons."

Adren went cold all over and he sighed. "It had to be dragons."

Thierry nodded, "She wants Erik to use his sorcery to wake them up."

"And how do we stop them from doing just that?"

The vampire lord turned to the werewolf sitting before him and sighed as he sat down. 

"You want me to speak to Erik." Adren said emotionless.

Thierry nodded. 

"I'll go then. Tomorrow at dawn."

Only hours before this teenager was a frightened animal, skittish, and silent. Now he spoke with the knowledge of many lifetimes. How proud Thierry was and he wondered if perhaps he could face the fears of his own past just as bravely.


	13. The end of Adrien Foster

Dawn rose over the town and its dusty roads. The stage rolled in just as the saloon was settling down in the new day. Some never slept in the town, some were busy.  
"You should stop looking at those boring books and take some interest in more important things," a voluminous woman at the bar said to Erik as he poured through a stack of books in front of him. He looked up and spied Maya smirking at him across the room.  
Go ahead, make her day. Maya said in his head. Show her what is more important than her.  
Erik looked over at the woman just as the door swung open to admit another nameless and formless shadow. He smiled sweetly and put down the book he was reading.  
"Be gone."  
The woman's coy look froze on her face as her skin began changing into the color of ash. She opened her mouth in a silent scream as suddenly her body collapsed into itself and blew away in the wind.  
Maya began laughing and slowly the entire room began nervously chuckle as well, each thankful it wasn't them. Even the owner was silent in the aftermath.  
"That was amusing." Maya said as Erik went back to reading. "What else can my dragon sorcerer do?"  
"Read right now." He replied. "I have to prepare for the spell and have no time for anything else."  
Maya pouted, "You're no fun."  
She looked out the grungy windows and spotted the perfect entertainment: the preacher and his wife. With an evil chuckle, Maya walked out of the saloon.  
From the shadows, Adren smiled and sat down at the table. Erik slammed down his book and shouted before looking up.  
"Damnation woman!"  
When he saw Adren smirking over at him, Erik was silent and his jaw hung agape. In the silence that came Adren picked up one of the books and began flipping through it.  
"The Magus? Sounds very boring." Adren said quietly. He picked up another book, "Sixth Book of Moses? Erikthya, I'm ashamed to call you a sorcerer!"  
"Adren." Erik replied finally regaining his tongue. He smiled as he reached out and caressed Adren's cheek. "Do you recall our days in Egypt, my love?"  
The werewolf slapped his hand away and replied, "I remember you slitting my throat and stabbing me, then if I recall correctly swearing you'd hunt me down and murder me...again"  
Everyone around the two was silent and listened to the response that was sure to come. Erik glanced at the people around them, stood and took Adren's arm.  
"Let's go somewhere quiet so we can speak with some privacy." He said jerking his soulmate effortlessly to his feet. As he began dragging Adren's resisting body upstairs, Erik noticed the lobo growling at him as she followed them.  
He shoved Adren into the first empty room and slammed the door in Luna's face behind him. Then he turned to him and smiled. Adren slowly edged away from him and tripped over his own feet. Erik chuckled as his soulamate scooted away from his advancing form.  
"Don't tell me you came all this way to spar with me just to back down." Erik teased. Adren growled at him.  
"Oh I'm so scared."  
That was the last straw. With a loud roar, Adren dove at Erik sending him and himself crashing through the door, over the railing, landing finally on top of a table that collapsed underneath them.  
Adren quickly rolled off his soulmate and punched him across the face before he could get up. Erik caught the fist across the jaw and flew into another table that broke into pieces.  
"Now Adren that wasn't very nice of you." Erik said as he slowly rose to his feet. Adren smirked at him.  
"Neither is selling me to a bunch of dog fighters." He countered.  
"Touché, Adren."  
The werewolf chuckled humorlessly and took a seat at an undamaged table soon to be followed by Erik. They stared at each other silently across the table, each waiting for the other to make the first move. In the end, it was Erik who made the first move. He laughed.  
"You've changed so much but yet so little. Your eyes still stare at me with innocence yet with such malice. Your hair is as dark as the space between stars just as I remember. But your body, you used to have such a nice body. So curvaceous, plump in the right places and slim in others. Now."  
"Now?" Adren inquired hiding his genuine curiosity behind a wall of indifference.  
"Now you look so underfed, rangy and gruff." Erik replied. "I can tell you no longer care about your appearance. You haven't shaven today and your hair comes past your shoulders like the hair of a shaggy dog."  
Adren smirked, "Considering I used to be treated like one I'm not surprised I look like one."  
Erik chuckled, "Still amusing as ever, my love."  
"Still as mocking as ever."  
He quirked an eyebrow, "Mocking? How am I mocking?"  
Adren sighed and straightened in the chair, "You mock me by calling me your love. First you deny and deny the love we once had and now you acknowledge what we had."  
Erik gazed at his soulmate fondly, "Had? I'm willing to give it another try."  
"Then are you also willing to not attempt waking the dragons? Are you willing to go back on your solemn word to hunt me down and watch me die in every incarnation I come in?"  
Erik reached over and took Adren's hand, "I'm willing to go back on my word but I must do this thing for Maya."  
Adren took his hand back and rose to his feet, "Then we have nothing else to say." He began to walk out of the door.  
"Don't walk away from me, Adren Far-Star!"  
He turned back toward him, "Goodbye Erikthya." He once more began walking out of the door. Right as he reached it, a book slammed into the wall near his head. Adren turned again and saw Erik reach for another and throw it at him. With a jerk of his head, Adren avoided it.  
"You will not simply walk away from me!" Erik cried.  
"Watch me." And then Adren walked out the door onto the dusty streets. A moment later Erik followed.  
"Come back here Far-Star!"  
Adren stopped and turned around, "The name is Foster, not Far-Star."  
Erik sneered as he caught up to his soulmate, "New name for new body? Ha! You're still the scared little woman you always were. Scared of the big bad dragon sorcerer?"  
"I'm not frightened of you." Adren replied, "I just see that talking to you is pointless, so I'm leaving."  
He began walking away and continued to walk away until he reached the horse barn where the horses began to whinny and buck at his approach. Adren backed away from them into Erik, who spun him around and kissed him.  
Bittersweet love flooded them both. Regret for the past, hopelessness for the future. The kiss was everything that could have been. What would have been if the centuries that passed didn't exist. If the present was in another time and place, if they were once again Erikthya the dragon sorcerer and Adren Far-Star the lost witch of the witch queen's line.  
"I still love you, Adren Foster." Erik whispered against Adren's lips. "I always will."  
"That's too bad!" Cried a new voice, harshly interrupting their dream.  
Erik drew back just in time to see three bloody prongs erupt from Adren's chest, narrowly avoiding the same fate himself.  
"No!!!!" the dragon sorcerer cried as his soulmate vomited blood and slowly fell to his knees revealing Maya behind him, still holding the offending silver pitchfork in her hands.  
"Erik?" Adren whispered and screamed in pain when Maya ripped the pitchfork from his back. She cackled madly at the pain she caused before her.  
"What have you done?" Erik whispered turning to Maya in shock.  
"I've finally taken care of our little wolf problem." She replied matter of fact like. "Now you may continue unhindered by this filthy pup with our grand plan."  
His shock turned to anger as he slid his gaze away from his dying love and to the evil woman who broke his heart. With a growl, Erik threw himself at her and wrestled against her on the hay-covered floor.  
It took only a moment and a moment it took for Maya to throw Erik away from her and drive the pitchfork straight through him, pinning him against the opposite wall.  
"You're a fool, Erikthya." She spat jerking the pitchfork free and stabbing him again. "We had plans you and I. Plans that didn't involve fairytales full of soulmates and love. They're not real! You hear me?! Not real, crap, garbage, filth!"  
Erik laughed despite the pain he felt where the pitchfork pierced his flesh again and again, "I see it now, Maya. I see what you hide beneath that pretty facade of yours."  
"She's jealous." Thierry said stepping into the barn. "She never found her soulmate and was jealous when everyone seems to find theirs."  
Maya spun towards him as Adren found the strength to inch toward Erik, "Soulmates are just a lie."  
"Look at them Maya." Thierry ordered. She turned and watched Adren crawl up to his feet, using Erik's body as a crutch and pulled the pitchfork free. Together they slumped into each other's arms.  
"It appears you get to watch me die now, my love." Erik whispered.  
Adren chuckled, "No, we're going to walk out of here and find a doc to patch us up."  
Erik reached out and caressed Adren's blood smeared face, "It ends now. I will die."  
Tears filled the werewolf's eyes, "Don't say that. I-I can heal you and me. I will!"  
A glow settled in Adren's hands and floated out toward his soulmate. Erik held his hand out to stop it.  
"No. I don't deserve it." He told him. "I want you to watch. Watch as the fire inside me dies once and for all just like I have done so many times before."  
"Erik." Adren whimpered and hugged his love tight.  
"Soulmates are real Maya." Thierry told her. "Real as the love those two share. Despite the pain, the blood, and death between them. They're meant to be together. Even in death."  
Maya watched as Erik breathed his last breath and Adren howl in pain once the knowledge came that his soulmate was gone. And then, she left.  
Once she was gone, Thierry rushed to Adren's side. Tears of pain ran down the werewolf's face as he hugged his soulmate's body closer and then finally laid him down beside him.  
"I can get you back to ranch in time to treat those wounds you have." The vampire told him.  
Adren shook his head, "No. I want you to finish it. Find a nice sharp knife or a gun loaded with silver and end this."  
"You can live without---" Thierry began.  
Adren shook his head again, "The only way I know I'll see Erik again is if I die. If I stay I'll forever wonder if he's out there. I'd be searching every newborn baby's face for something that might not ever be there in this lifetime." He looked up at the vampire, "I need this, Thierry. Please give it to me."  
Thierry rose to his feet and searched the barn for a tool that would do the job. He found the blacksmith left his shotgun in one of the stalls. After glancing in the chamber and seeing the silver shot that was needed, he brought the gun over to Adren.  
"When we next meet, Thierry. We'll search for your soulmate first." Adren said with a smile.  
The gun went off and then it was over. 


	14. Happily ever after

The present..  
  
Adren watched as the thick door finally creaked open before him. He rose to his feet and ordered everyone to leave. After giving their leader a strange look, everyone except Ash left.  
"I need to do this alone, Redrfern." Adren told the man.  
"What do you know that I don't."  
Adren smirked, "It's a long story. I'll tell you about it if I'm right."  
Ash turned and began to leave, "Good luck, Fianna."  
Once the vampire was out of sight, he walked into the room that lay behind the safe like door.  
The room was candle lit, the flames sending shadows on the red and green silks that hung on the walls. On one wall was a brightly-lit vanity mirror with a familiar person sitting in front of it gazing back at him.  
Long waves of coppery hair. The darkest of brown eyes. A simple white shift floating off of darkly tanned skin. She rose to her feet revealing her willowy body to the werewolf's eyes.  
"Hello Far-Star." A husky voice whispered and Adren shut his eyes against the pink fuzziness that enveloped him.  
"Hello Erik."  
She blushed, "Erik no longer. I'm named Tayla in this life. This form."  
Adren opened his eyes and smiled, "I was named Scott Hendrix but I still go by Adren Foster."  
Tayla turned and looked at him, "How long have you known? About."  
"Not long. My pack took me to Grandma Harmon to have her explain my dreams of the past. She told me I was Adren Foster, daughter of Bano. From there it all came back to me."  
"Even me." She asked quietly. "All the horrible things I did. The evil---"  
"Yes."  
She sat back down and sighed, "I suppose you hate me."  
"I never hated you. Not ever."  
She turned and looked at him, "But all the times I-"  
"We're different people from those in the past." Adren smiled, "Let's start again. I'm Adren Foster of Circle Daybreak and you?"  
She smiled and rushed into his arms, "I'm Tayla Montegue. I think we're soulmates."  
Adren chuckled, "I think we are too. I think we are." 


End file.
